Monday, August 04, 2014

Iraq snapshot

Monday, August 4, 2014. Chaos and violence continue, Sunni forces seize three towns, the Yazidis and Christians remain targeted, the State Dept ignores religious minorities (even when asked of them), and much more.

No, there was no minimizing of collateral damage in Falluja. You can even argue that the November 2004 assault on Falluja -- using conventional weapons as well as chemical ones -- was all about expanding collateral damage as much as possible. There was no concern for safety. Young boys, for example, were judged to be 'fighters' -- merely because they were male -- and not allowed to leave the city, forced to remain for the assault.

Pointing to the US' crimes and culpability does not mitigate those of the Israeli government but they do expose hypocrisy on the part of the US government.

And they expose stupidity.

Stupidity on the part of Yuval Steinitz.

He tells Amanpour, "This idea that if they are launching rockets from
civilian neighborhoods or nearby, unfortunately, some schools or
hospitals, then we cannot or should not defend ourselves? You know, what
alternative to we have?"

The alternative you have is to not attack schools or hospitals or other places where civilians are.

Doing so to kill an element that may or may not be gathered among the civilians?

That's Collective Punishment and it's a War Crime -- it's a War Crime that no one in the Israeli government should be confused over.

But the stupidity here is the Collective Stupidity when it comes to Iraq.

Since the first of January of this year, Nouri has been using Collective Punishment, he's been bombing the residential neighborhoods of Falluja -- killing and wounding civilians.

These are War Crimes.

If Steinitz wants to object that the Israeli government is being wrongly criticized, he shouldn't be reaching back to 2004 or the past. He should simply note that for 8 months now, Iraq's chief thug and hopefully outgoing prime minister has been killing civilians, committing War Crimes, and the White House, England's Prime Minister, etc., have all refused to demand Nouri stop these War Crimes.

Bombing hospitals? Nouri's bombed Falluja General as well as Falluja's teaching hospital.

If you've not noticed in the last ten years, I do prefer precision from news outlets. I try to be sensitive to all religions and especially to religious minorities. But I am troubled by headlines claiming "thousands" of Yazidis were just slaughtered.

Thousands?

Thousands are being targeted and threatened.

But were thousands slaughtered?

If so, the body of your article should have backed that up at some point with a number.

If you didn't, your article's suspect. And if you're claiming 'thousands slaughtered' in anticipation of thousands being killed, don't expect to be believed if/when thousands are killed since you've already stated that it happened.

Rudaw has numbers. They say there are approximately 300,000 Yazidis in Iraq today with "thousands" having fled due to the violence and the refugee population of "Yezidi Kurds and [. . .] Assyrian and Chaldean Christians" have seen the deaths of 20 children from hunger while many of the elderly population have "collapsed from exhaustion in the summer heat."

What we do know is that the Yazidis in northern Iraq were threatened yesterday when three towns fell to fighters/rebels/militants/et al. Adam Chandler (The Wire) noted Sunni fighters "swept across northern Iraq over the weekend, reportedly defeating
Kurdish forces for the first time, and was rumored to have captured a
vital dam near Mosul." Alan Duke (CNN) explained, "ISIS took control of Iraq's largest hydroelectric dam on Iraq's Tigris
River, which provides power to the city of Mosul about 50 kilometers (31
miles) to the south, the commander of the Peshmerga Kurdish fighters
who had been defending the facility said Sunday." Reuters added that the fighters seized three towns in the Kurdistan Region including Zumar. Fu Peng (Xinhua) reports the town of Sinjar was among the three seized:

The majority of the town of Sinjar are from the
Yazidi minority, which is primarily an ethnic Kurd. The religion of
Yazidis incorporates elements of many faiths, as a result of some of
their beliefs and the mystery surrounding their religion, many Muslims
and non-Muslims have considered Yazidis as infidels. This has led to
violent attacks by extremist Islamist groups against the minority.There are about 600,000 Yazidis remaining in Iraq with roughly 80
percent of them living in the towns of Sinjar and Bashika in Nineveh
province.

Andrew Slater (Daily Beast) offers this overview:The
Sinjar mountain area is a ring of villages and one of the few true
homes for the Yezidi people. The Yezidi’s ancient faith, which combines
elements of Christianity, Sufi Islam, and Zoroastrianism, is considered
heretical by ISIS and puts them at great risk. Of the 300,000 who live
in this district, most have left in the last 24 hours and the rest are
desperately trying to find a way out with aid organizations in Iraq
saying that a humanitarian disaster of epic scale is currently
unfolding.

Elements of the Islamic State blew up shrines belong to the Yazidi sect
and killed 70 Yazidi after refusing to convert to Islam, witnesses say.
The witnesses told the reporter of the National Iraqi News
Agency / NINA / that "elements of the Islamic State blew up two shrines
belong to Yazidi at the bottom of Sinjar Mount and trying to also blow
up another shrine at the top of Sinjar Mount after noting the people of
nearby to evacuate in order to detonate it."

Given the chance to mention the attacks on religious minorities in Iraq during today's US State Dept press briefing, spokesperson Jen Psaki took a pass and, when pressed by a reporter, she still ignored the issue.

QUESTION: Okay. And do you have anything to add to the statement from yesterday?MS. PSAKI: I don’t believe so, though I’m happy to --QUESTION: Well, just that there seem to be a lot of minority –
religious minorities fleeing – or not seem, there are. And I’m
wondering if you have any update on that, any – or any update on
conversations that you all have had with the Iraqis about helping –
boosting assistance to the Kurds (inaudible).MS. PSAKI: Well, Ambassador Beecroft, of course, remains our
point on the ground. Deputy Assistant Secretary Brett McGurk is working
in close partnership with him, so U.S. officials from here and in
Baghdad have been in contact over, of course, the last 24 to 48 hours
with Iraqi officials in Baghdad and Erbil to discuss a coordinated
response to the humanitarian situation you mentioned. There have been
populations, including many vulnerable minorities, who have fled areas
where ISIL has been attacking. That, of course, is of great concern to
us and is an issue that we are closely watching and, of course,
facilitating cooperation and direct assistance between Baghdad and Erbil
as part of our focus.I’m sure – you may have the statement made by the Government of Iraq
and their efforts to support with air power – with airstrikes what is
happening. We certainly welcome the statement made from officials in
Baghdad that Iraqi security forces will provide air support to the
Peshmerga as they counter this latest ISIL offensive. The Peshmerga have
played a critical role in addressing this threat, and the focus of all
parties needs to remain on enhancing cooperation between Baghdad and
Erbil to not allow further advances. So that certainly is what we are
focused on from here and in Baghdad.

Grasp that, even when directly asked, Psaki ignored the issue.

This is why the administration has such a bad reputation when it comes to Christian and Jewish issues. Rightly or wrongly, it's felt by a number of Americans that if Muslims are attacked, the administration is on it. But they sense a lack of respect for what the US has often seen as more traditional religions.

There's a disgrace on the Democratic side of the aisle.

It's embarrassing.

You see it over and over.

In 2012, you saw it with -- we have not used this term before -- "magic underwear" -- used to attack GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney. It was an attack on him and an attack on his religion.

It was crass, insulting and, honestly, unforgivable.

You have to wonder about Democrats who ran with that as a campaign 'issue.' More to the point, you have to wonder about Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid who never publicly condemned it.

We all know that Mitt's mocked religion was Mormon, right? That the "magic underwear" being mocked is a part of Reid's religion as well since Reid is also Mormon.

But Harry Reid was so trashy, he couldn't even speak up on behalf of his religion.

How trashy.

I didn't plan to be online ten years. Doing so means things come out. As a general rule, Elaine and I are always on the same page. So when she noted she didn't follow a religion, it was obvious to many that I didn't. And when it was brought up directly, I noted it.

I don't practice any religion. I have no use personally for any religion.

For people it benefits, great and wonderful.

And we're not going to insult or attack a religion here. We do not use the name of any deity in vain here. If we're quoting someone swearing, we usually do it as "G** damn." Not because "God" is a dirty word, it isn't, but because I know it is a sensitive issue for some when a deity's name is using in vain.

We try to be respectful of religion here.

And it's a real shame that a ____ (use your favorite swear of choice) like me shows more diplomatic tact on the issue of religion than does the US State Dept.

The Yazidis are being threatened. They deserve support and sympathy. But Jen Psaki couldn't be bothered with the threats against the Yazidis or the Christians or any group.

Bram Janssen covers the events for AP
and there are four photos with the report, the first of which includes
this caption, "This image made from video taken on Sunday, Aug. 3, 2014
shows Iraqis
people from the Yazidi community arriving in Irbil in northern Iraq
after Islamic militants attacked the towns of Sinjar and Zunmar. Around
40 thousand people crossed the bridge of Shela in Fishkhabur into the
Northern Kurdish Region of Iraq, after being given an ultimatum by
Islamic militants to either convert to Islam, pay a security tax, leave
their homes, or die."
The ultimatum is the same one given to Christians in Mosul only a few
weeks ago. It should also be noted that it's been reported religious
minorities other than Christians have been the first to receive these
warnings and then, after they're cleared out, a week or so later the
Christians are the ones threatened. We'll return to that topic later in the snapshot but grasp that this issue -- this issue Jen Psaki elected to ignore even when it was raised by a reporter in the briefing -- is an ongoing one and yet the State Dept apparently doesn't even have prepared remarks for it in that cheat sheet binder the spokespeople depend upon.

Along with the threatening of and killing of Yazidis, Reuters notes that yesterday, "Islamic State fighters seized control of Iraq's biggest dam, [and] an oilfield." The dam is a concern of some outlets with Vivian Salama and Qassim Abdul-Zahra (AP) noting, "They could also use the dams as a weapon of war by flooding terrain
downstream to slow Iraq's military or disrupt life. They have done that
with a smaller dam they hold closer to Baghdad. But with the larger
dams, there are limits on this tactic since it would also flood areas
that the insurgents hold." Jen Psaki couldn't be bothered noting the threats and attacks on the religious minorities but she could talk about the dam today.

QUESTION: Your statement yesterday, I think it was, about – this is Iraq.MS. PSAKI: Mm-hmm.QUESTION: About the gains that ISIS has been making in –
against the Peshmerga. Do you have any specific concerns – and you don’t
need to repeat the statement that you made yesterday, unless you
really, really want to. But I’m just wondering, do you have any concerns
about this dam that they seem to have taken over, and the possibility
that they might use it for some kind of nefarious purpose?MS. PSAKI: Well, we are, of course, monitoring the situation
closely. We know that the dam – the Mosul Dam has been in the sights of
ISIL since its offensive began in June to further threaten and terrorize
the Iraqi people. While the situation is fluid, our understanding is
that the Peshmerga remains – forces remain in control of the dam.
Certainly, we would be concerned if that changed.

Glen Carey, Ladane Nasseri and Zaid Sabah (Bloomberg News) note, "The Mosul dam, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) northwest of the city that
the militants captured in June, is a major supplier of electricity and
water. Germany’s
Hochtief AG helped build the dam on the Tigris River in the 1980s. If
it collapsed or was sabotaged, it could flood Mosul and surrounding
villages."

CBC notes, "Hundreds of Iraqi Canadian Christians gathered in Toronto today
calling for the government to stand up against the persecution
Christians in Mosul have faced since terrorist group ISIS began its
occupation on June 10. The crowd marched around Queen’s Park Sunday afternoon." Mike Maloney (London Community News) adds, "More than 200 people lined the sidewalk of Richmond Street alongside St.
Peter’s Basilica Sunday afternoon (Aug 3) to raise awareness around the
plight of Christian’s being forced to flee their homes in Northern
Iraq." Paul Hammel (World-Herald) reports today was day two of the protest in Lincoln, Nebraska. The first day witnessed a march on the governor's mansion; however, Governor Dave Heineman refused to meet with them. Today, US House Rep Jeff Fortenberry did meet with them in his local office. Fortenberry tells Hammel, "This is genocide against the Christians and the Yezidis who are there."

Fortenberry has already been working on the issue and today his office issued the following press release:

Lincoln, NE – Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) along with
colleagues Juan Vargas (D-CA) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA) led passage of a
bipartisan resolution (H. Res. 683) late last week condemning the severe
persecution that Christians and other ethnic and religious minority
communities are suffering in Iraq. The resolution also calls for an
international humanitarian intervention to aid these innocent civilian
groups. “The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, commonly called
ISIS, is waging an ongoing genocide against Christians, Yezidis, and
other religious minorities in Iraq,” Fortenberry said. “All Christians
have been expelled from Mosul, the second largest city in the country.
These crimes against humanity have inspired worldwide outrage and demand
a swift international humanitarian response.” “The House of
Representatives has united to speak with one voice for Iraq’s desperate
refugees and suffering religious communities,” Fortenberry said. “We
must stand in solidarity with members of ancient faith traditions that
face annihilation in their ancestral homelands.” A follow-up
letter urging swift action in the Ninevah Plain region was sent to
President Obama by Fortenberry, Eshoo, and Congressman Frank Wolf
(R-VA). Fortenberry serves on the House Appropriations Committee
and is a member of the House Caucus on Religious Minorities in the
Middle East. A copy of the resolution can be found here and a copy of the letter can be found here.

###

Those are not the action planned by Aid for the Church in Need and
others for Wednesday, August 6th. It is an action that's part of a
growing protest over the targeting and why many are expecting the August
6th action to have a healthy participation rate around the world.

Let's again note Aid to the Church in Need's announcement on the Global Day of Prayer for Peace:

Aug. 6, 2014--Feast of the Transfiguration

“Please stop, I ask you with all my heart, it’s time to stop. Stop,
please.” Inspired by these words of Pope Francis (June 27, 2014), the
international pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need, united
with His Beatitude Louis Rafael Sako, the Chaldean Catholic Patriarch of
Iraq, appeals to all persons of good will to join in a Global Day of
Prayer for Peace to be held on August 6, 2014—the Feast of the
Transfiguration.

The
feast of Transfiguration marks the moment when Jesus, on Mount Tabor,
appears to three of his disciples in a state of glory, shortly before
His ultimate trial on Calvary. This feast holds out a sign of hope for
humanity: it is a source of courage when obstacles appear impossible to
surmount; a sign that light is stronger than darkness; and testimony
that death can turn into life.

Meant to be observed in churches
and homes across the country, this Global Day of Prayer in the midst of
so much suffering in Iraq—particularly for the ancient Christian
community of Mosul—tells the world at large that US Christians have not
forgotten and abandoned their suffering brothers and sisters.Patriarch Sako has personally composed the Prayer for Peace:

Lord,The plight of our countryis deep and the suffering of Christiansis severe and frightening.Therefore, we ask you Lordto spare our lives, and to grant us patience, and courage to continue our witness of Christian valueswith trust and hope.Lord, peace is the foundation of life;Grant us the peace and stability that will enable usto live with each other without fear and anxiety,and with dignity and joy.

Glory be to you forever.

The
Patriarch also said: “Let us unite our voices and hearts before the
Lord of peace. May the light of Tabor fill the hearts of all suffering
people with consolation and hope. May the message of Tabor, through our
prayers, inspire the leaders of Iraq to sacrifice personal interests for
the common good and welfare.”

Around the world includes Iraq. Dalje notes,
"Hundreds of Kurds in the northern Iraqi cities of Erbil and
Sulaimaniya
have protested at violence by Sunni extremists in northern Iraq against
members of the Yezidi minority." Unlike much of the rest of the world,
protesters in Iraq actually risk safety when taking a public stand
against the targeting. Even those who enter Iraq to protest the
targeting risk less than Iraqis who have decided to stay in Iraq. For
example, Catholic World News reports, "Cardinal Philippe Barbarin of Lyon, joined by two other French bishops,
made a four-day trip to Iraq to meet with some of the nation’s
persecuted Christians. "

That was a brave move by the Cardinal but it's also true that after the visit, the Cardinal returns home.

The Sunni resistance is having success in seizing territory throughout
Iraq. But it is unified around one issue and it is not a monolithic
group. These are facts that too many struggle to convey or acknowledge.
Which is why Ned Parker and Suleiman al-Khalidi's report for Reutersis all the more important. Excerpt:The alliance between Sunni tribesmen,
nationalists, old Baath regime loyalists and military veterans on one
side and Islamic State on the other is based almost entirely on a mutual
hatred of Maliki's Shi'ite government and a desire for an independent
Sunni region.But like
most Iraqi Sunnis, Suleiman is no Islamic extremist. He helped crush an
earlier incarnation of al Qaeda in Iraq. And he was disturbed recently
by the news that tens of thousands of Christians were fleeing the city
of Mosul after an Islamic State ultimatum that they should convert,
leave or be put to the sword. The notion was an affront to Suleiman, who
grew up in cosmopolitan Baghdad and has often spoken publicly of the
need for tolerance.

Tim Arango (New York Times) reports Iraqi state TV carried a statement from Iraq's military spokesperson Qassim Atta "The general commander of the armed forces, Nuri al-Maliki, has issued an order to the Iraqi air forces to provide air support for the pesh merga against ISIS." Arango notes that the statement did not seem so much hopeful (Baghdad and the KRG coming together) as it "seemed only to reflect the dire situation on the ground."

At the State Dept today, Jen Psaki tried to sell the statement as a sign of hope.

QUESTION: On Iraq, high ranking Iraqi Kurdish official said
that the United States has agreed to provide arms to Peshmerga. Would
you confirm or do you have anything to say about this?MS. PSAKI: I don’t have any confirmation of that. It’s
actually – our focus remains encouraging cooperation and continued
coordination between the ISF and the Peshmerga forces. And again, I just
spoke to the statement by the ISF today about their plans to provide
air support to the Peshmerga, and we certainly support that effort.

Turning to politics . . .

"I was elected president by all the Iraqi factions. And I would never nominate anyone for the post of
prime minister without all parties’ consent and blessing." That's Iraq's recently named President, President Fouad Massoum.

What's he talking about? Why did he say that if he's "pressured to nominate a candidate, I will not hesitate to step down"?

Rudaw has learned that Iraq’s acting
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has urged Massoum to nominate him “since
he represents the largest coalition in the parliament.”The president has reportedly declined Maliki’s appeal and said
he would not use his presidential powers to nominate anyone “without the
clear support of all Iraqi factions.”

That comes as Press TV reports State of Law has nominated Nouri for a third term as prime minister.

About Me

We do not open attachments. Stop e-mailing them. Threats and abusive e-mail are not covered by any privacy rule. This isn't to the reporters at a certain paper (keep 'em coming, they are funny). This is for the likes of failed comics who think they can threaten via e-mails and then whine, "E-mails are supposed to be private." E-mail threats will be turned over to the FBI and they will be noted here with the names and anything I feel like quoting.
This also applies to anyone writing to complain about a friend of mine. That's not why the public account exists.